2006-09-20T23:38:10Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2008:/analysts/wood//28 Movable Type Copyright (c) 2008, Andrea Wood 2006-09-20T23:38:10Z 2006-09-11T13:38:00Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7064 2006-09-11T13:38:00Z

The Implications of Handset Naming Conventions In a world where handsets are released weekly, it gets hard to keep track of all the numbered models. I sometimes confuse model numbers, but always remember names like Rokr, Pebl and Chocolate. While memorable, these naming conventions can also be value laden. Handset...

Andrea Wood The Implications of Handset Naming Conventions In a world where handsets are released weekly, it gets hard to keep track of all the numbered models. I sometimes confuse model numbers, but always remember names like Rokr, Pebl and Chocolate. While memorable, these naming conventions can also be value laden. Handset names can easily attract a certain demographic, or even repel it. Take LG’s Chocolate phone. It sounds like the most decadent and smooth phone on the market. The Pebl sounds like a small, solid phone. Now, what consumer group will be attracted to decadence? Which group seeks durability and small size? These names can also become a sales burden. Perhaps a numbered system would be better…. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-09-08T14:07:07Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7063 2006-09-08T14:07:07Z

For some vendors it makes sense to offer an online photo sharing service. However, I question the value of every website offering a photo sharing function. The LA Times recently launched Your Scene. The service allows anyone to upload photos to a site linked to LATimes.com, and is powered by...

Andrea Wood For some vendors it makes sense to offer an online photo sharing service. However, I question the value of every website offering a photo sharing function. The LA Times recently launched Your Scene. The service allows anyone to upload photos to a site linked to LATimes.com, and is powered by myCapture. Your Scene allows the newspaper to monetize photo sharing; consumers can buy any photo they view on the site. When does photo sharing stop making sense? I understand why people post photos related to news stories in the LA Times, or even of the city where the paper is published. It does not make sense to assume people will share all their photos from their newspaper’s webpage. There are so many other photo sharing sites with a huge range of features and benefits. The market for photo sharing services is reaching saturation. Consumers are overloaded with the number of choices to share photos. It’s what my colleagues Joe Wilcox and Michael Gartenberg call feature overload - there are so many choices available that consumers throw their hands up with dismay instead of making a decision. It’s great that websites are allowing consumers to realize the potential of their digital cameras. However, the choices are starting to confuse consumers! 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-09-07T14:58:01Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7062 2006-09-07T14:58:01Z

JupiterResearch survey data shows that the number one reason consumers don’t print photos at home is cost. They’re concerned not only about the cost of supplies, like photo quality paper and ink, but the cost of a printer itself. Despite these concerns, and the rise in consumer interest in online...

Andrea Wood JupiterResearch survey data shows that the number one reason consumers don’t print photos at home is cost. They’re concerned not only about the cost of supplies, like photo quality paper and ink, but the cost of a printer itself. Despite these concerns, and the rise in consumer interest in online sharing, camera vendors continue to produce high-end photo printers. You can’t blame them, really. As long as consumers are taking digital photos, some will want to print at home. Some vendors will steer clear of the printing market because of a lack of consumer mass, but others will become the dedicated printing providers. What is truly surprising is the willingness of camera vendors to branch out to printing. Companies that have long provided both imaging and printing devices, such as Canon, can justify offering high-grade photo-quality printers. However, when a camera-oriented vendor enters the printing game, it seems like pure folly. The at-home printing market may not be shrinking, but it certainly isn’t huge. To enter the printing market, vendors must prove that they have mastered printing technology in order for consumers to buy their products. To establish a name as a capable printer vendor take times. Unless the device and supply price are so low that consumers can’t help but be attracted to the brand, new entrants to the at-home photo printing market are in for a hard slog. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-09-06T15:25:23Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7061 2006-09-06T15:25:23Z

In many offices, employees are issued with key cards to access the premises. In more secure locations, personnel are required to scan a fingerprint or an eye. So, if offices require such extensive security, why don’t schools? A local primary school requires parents to deliver their children to the door...

Andrea Wood In many offices, employees are issued with key cards to access the premises. In more secure locations, personnel are required to scan a fingerprint or an eye. So, if offices require such extensive security, why don’t schools? A local primary school requires parents to deliver their children to the door monitor each morning. The door monitor checks the child’s name on a list, and allows the child to enter. A friend once asked once the school didn’t issue RFID tags so the kids could simply scan themselves in and out of the school’s care each day. I laughed, but it doesn’t seem that far fetched anymore. A Georgia-based school system introduced a fingerprint scanning system not for security, but as a payment mechanism. Children scan their fingers to access their pre-paid account, and avoid the time-honoured tradition of bullying for lunch money. A fingerprint scanning system could certainly increase the security of a school and its students. The same system could also replace the need for passwords on the school computers, and track PC-use activity. Sure, bullying could lead to misuse of accounts (a child could be forced to scan a fingerprint so a peer can get up to trouble), but a fingerprint scanning system in a school could really unify the electronic experience. Of course, those pesky consent issues will prevent a simplified system like this from working. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-08-23T20:07:14Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7060 2006-08-23T20:07:14Z

The National Retail Federation claims college-aged students plan to plan to spend $8.2 billion on consumer electronics this year. While the Holiday season represents a major sales period for consumer electronics, the back-to-school season also presents companies with many opportunities to target and serve a wide-ranging student population; from primary...

Andrea Wood The National Retail Federation claims college-aged students plan to plan to spend $8.2 billion on consumer electronics this year. While the Holiday season represents a major sales period for consumer electronics, the back-to-school season also presents companies with many opportunities to target and serve a wide-ranging student population; from primary scholars in need of PCs for their homework to college students looking to outfit their first apartments. The must have products these days are far from simple. And the demand for consumer electronics simply isn’t limited by function. CE products that save space and simply look cool sell with this demographic. Think flat screen monitors and stereo systems that integrate with iPods that also save precious space. Our surveys show that consumers between 18 and 24 are more likely to own the latest and greatest devices, and plan to buy new devices more often. This discretionary spending represents a pretty remarkable audience for vendors to target - especially if parents are contributing to the purchase. While the students may be interested in a new game system or camera phone, the parent’s flexibility and income is key. So, extending marketing to parents – to show them the value of new technologies in the back-to-school season - is key to increasing sales. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-08-17T15:06:13Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7059 2006-08-17T15:06:13Z

I spoke with Doug Naimo, founder of Triggerfinger yesterday. He and his team have come up with software that can eliminate a QWERTY keyboard from many devices. A cell phone would use a joystick-like input device accompanied by several buttons for text input – an approach similar to text messaging....

Andrea Wood I spoke with Doug Naimo, founder of Triggerfinger yesterday. He and his team have come up with software that can eliminate a QWERTY keyboard from many devices. A cell phone would use a joystick-like input device accompanied by several buttons for text input – an approach similar to text messaging. Media Center PC owners could, in theory, replace a remote and keyboard by introducing a game-controller like device for all-in-one input functionality. Triggerfinger’s approach seems innovative and interesting, but like in many instances the biggest obstacle to adoption is consumer perception. Consumers will have many questions, and some folks will give it a try. The key to testing market flexibility and interest when introducing a new concept is education and patience. Vendors of new products, like Triggerfinger, must show consumers how a device or software will change their lives. Simply expecting that the market will understand the product is not enough. Willingness to change also takes time. While a few early adopters will be eager to try a product, the mass market may need a little extra urging over a longer period of time to even think of testing a product. Triggerfinger’s innovations will not win out over existing input devices in the short term, but the products are garnering attention from major players in the US software and hardware sectors. Only time will tell what battles these products might incite. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-08-03T15:46:39Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7058 2006-08-03T15:46:39Z

I was recently wowed by the growth of Garmin's GPS systems: sales of automotive units rose 153% in a year, while sales of fitness/outdoors devices rose about 25% in the first half of 2006. Over the past few years, I’ve tried a number of GPS systems. They come in handy...

Andrea Wood I was recently wowed by the growth of Garmin's GPS systems: sales of automotive units rose 153% in a year, while sales of fitness/outdoors devices rose about 25% in the first half of 2006. Over the past few years, I’ve tried a number of GPS systems. They come in handy from time to time, but I’ve never felt that I’ve absolutely needed a GPS device. That being said, I’ve been testing the Adeo motionlingo for the past few weeks. It sure is nifty. The motionlingo is billed as a ‘personal fitness companion’ – a GPS device that plugs into a portable media player to provide audio queues and updates while exercising. It’s pretty impressive, and non-intrusive if I’m already carrying a music player. I simply stick the two devices in my running belt, and off I go. As an active sportsperson, it’s been a fun little device to work with. It took some time to get up and running when I first had it out of the box, but it was eventually able to adapt to the new environment. I live in an urban area with pretty dense tree cover, so triangulating with three satellites is sometimes difficult. When I took the motionlingo through some flat, open farmland and to a remote and rocky area of the Canadian shield, I had a good clear signal the entire time. When the device is working, it’s great to have audio cues announce distance, speed, pace, calories burned, and more. A recorded voice provides frequent updates depending the program I set, lowering and raising the volume of my music ever so slightly to provide the updates. When I return home, I can synch the motionlingo with my PC, use the provided software to track my performance and peg my mileage on a Google map. It took some getting use to the software interface, but certainly wasn’t a challenge that would prevent me from using the system. The buttons on the motionlingo bugged me, though. They are scattered on all sides, and a bit difficult to get used to. While I am somewhat coordinated, with the ability to run and fiddle with a device, I repeatedly had to stop and look at the device to figure out which button to push to change the program or get an update. It was a bit of a pain, and something I couldn’t really practice when you are sitting at home. This is Adeo’s first stab at an audio GPS device, so I speculate the next production run will resolve this layout issue. The motionlingo sells for $149 US, and is a pretty cool device for those active folks who don’t want to check a wrist-worn device to analyze performance. So while I may not need GPS when I’m outdoors, it’s a novelty that can enhance the sporting experience. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-07-27T15:01:26Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7057 2006-07-27T15:01:26Z

The Indian Ministry of Education’s decision to pushback on the One Laptop Per Child initiative should serve as an eye opener for marketers. While the initiative is altruistic, there is also profit motive (however slim it may be). Once a market is open for business, there is unlimited opportunity to...

Andrea Wood The Indian Ministry of Education’s decision to pushback on the One Laptop Per Child initiative should serve as an eye opener for marketers. While the initiative is altruistic, there is also profit motive (however slim it may be). Once a market is open for business, there is unlimited opportunity to create and sell products. However, just because a project is altruistic does not mean it will be accepted with open arms. Unfortunately, some nations are so poor that hard choices must be made – effectively closing the opportunity to expand into a new market. Sure, access to a computer certainly enhances childhood education and prospects for future well being. India’s Education Secretary told the press "We cannot visualize a situation for decades when we can go beyond the pilot stage. We need classrooms and teachers more urgently than fancy tools." There’s no way Indian children can benefit from the one laptop project until basic education requirements are met. Unlike the developed markets, where nifty new products are introduced on a regular basis, the developing market can’t bare too many unnecessary innovations. Much more basic steps must be taken to open a market up. Initiatives to introduce educators to would be a good first step, though admittedly straying from most technology company’s core competencies. Bill Gates’ Foundation could easily provide funding for a project of this nature, which would ultimately create growth opportunities over time. That way, both the developing nation and the tech company win. It’s just not going to be very easy to achieve. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-07-26T14:39:46Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7056 2006-07-26T14:39:46Z

I was duped when reading a news story about Sony's bookshelf audio system this morning. Skimming the headlines, I inferred that Sony was releasing a dedicated e-book playback unit. While nifty and not much of a stretch for Sony, I was a bit confused. I’d never heard of a unit...

Andrea Wood I was duped when reading a news story about Sony's bookshelf audio system this morning. Skimming the headlines, I inferred that Sony was releasing a dedicated e-book playback unit. While nifty and not much of a stretch for Sony, I was a bit confused. I’d never heard of a unit for the mass market that read e-books aloud. That’s when I realized my error: Sony wasn’t using the term ‘bookshelf’ literally. The stereo simply allows access to a collection of music from a variety of sources, including Bluetooth equipped devices. I guess ‘music shelf’ doesn’t have the same ring, even while it is more accurate. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-07-25T15:48:04Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7055 2006-07-25T15:48:04Z

Years ago, just after the release of the Palm Pilot, a friend decided to abandon cookbooks altogether in favor of storing his recipes in his Palm Pilot. That way, he could check ingredient lists in the store, and cook on demand. (Only problem was he worked as a developer and...

Andrea Wood Years ago, just after the release of the Palm Pilot, a friend decided to abandon cookbooks altogether in favor of storing his recipes in his Palm Pilot. That way, he could check ingredient lists in the store, and cook on demand. (Only problem was he worked as a developer and spent far more time coding than he did cooking. But that’s beside the point.) My friend is also a avid gamer, and is equally intrigued with the recently released-in-Japan DS Cooking Navigator. Instead of demanding the cook to constantly check the recipe, the DS uses voices prompts to queue the next step. For those ambitious enough to try cooking but not trusting of their abilities, photos of each step are also provided on screen. It’s a foolproof approach to cooking - so long as the user doesn't stray from instruction. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-07-07T15:57:19Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7054 2006-07-07T15:57:19Z

Word has it that ‘Google’ and ‘spyware’ are official additions to the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It’s about time! There is a set of rules about the use of a term before it is officially considered for publication in the dictionary. However, they aren’t completely clear. While ‘Google’...

Andrea Wood Word has it that ‘Google’ and ‘spyware’ are official additions to the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It’s about time! There is a set of rules about the use of a term before it is officially considered for publication in the dictionary. However, they aren’t completely clear. While ‘Google’ is frequently used socially and on TV, and the term ‘spyware’ is known by most everyone with a computer, some of the tech-based additions are just silly. Like ‘mouse potato’. Perhaps I don’t pay attention. But the press release from Merriam-Webster was the first time I’ve heard the term! 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-07-07T14:34:37Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7053 2006-07-07T14:34:37Z

Adam Sandler’s latest movie, Click, introduces a remote with the power to control the entire universe. If only home automation were as simple. So many solutions require in-wall wiring, massive outlay in terms of time and money, and users may well face device integration obstacles. The idea behind the solutions...

Andrea Wood Adam Sandler’s latest movie, Click, introduces a remote with the power to control the entire universe. If only home automation were as simple. So many solutions require in-wall wiring, massive outlay in terms of time and money, and users may well face device integration obstacles. The idea behind the solutions is so simple: a single control center for anything in the home. However, vendors often totally overlook the key to success: simplicity. If installation and use of home automation systems is a challenge, the solution isn’t worth it. We just finished a report studying a new potential market for home automation solutions. Like in years past, consumers seem interested in home automation. But year over year, they fail to implement the systems. Get in touch to understand why, and how home automation can be made a reality in more consumer households. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-07-05T19:00:00Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7052 2006-07-05T19:00:00Z

A few weeks back Bell Sympatico, Canada's largest Internet service provider, changed its privacy policies for consumer accounts. Now, Bell may monitor use of the network to supply information pertinent to government requests. Many observers and subscribers to the ISP believe this is the first step in disclosing information without...

Andrea Wood A few weeks back Bell Sympatico, Canada's largest Internet service provider, changed its privacy policies for consumer accounts. Now, Bell may monitor use of the network to supply information pertinent to government requests. Many observers and subscribers to the ISP believe this is the first step in disclosing information without a court order. Others believe this step is merely in anticipation of change to government access legislation expected in the fall. No matter the reason, some of Bell’s subscribers are surely reconsidering their service provider. Bell isn’t the only high-speed ISP in the country; there are more than five dominant players and hundreds of smaller providers offering service throughout the country. These players are watching and learning as the media unleashes its fury on Bell. They are planning new pricing packages, their own privacy policies and campaigns to convert subscribers. They’ll promise to protect subscriber’s rights, and will wisely capitalize on this incident. The rate of churn, however, may be relatively low. Many consumers are happy with their ISP service, as Bell’s high-speed pricing is quite competitive. Other subscribers don’t feel their online activity warrants concern about monitoring. So, while some consumers will consider a change, the hype around the privacy rules isn’t anticipated to cause massive churn. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-07-05T15:23:51Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7051 2006-07-05T15:23:51Z

Over the years, we’ve heard a lot about hot laptops. Some reports attribute the problem to malfunctioning batteries, others to poor ventilation or smaller laptop size. There’s no doubt that overheating is truly a problem. But it seems like users forget the rules of use in many instances. An article...

Andrea Wood Over the years, we’ve heard a lot about hot laptops. Some reports attribute the problem to malfunctioning batteries, others to poor ventilation or smaller laptop size. There’s no doubt that overheating is truly a problem. But it seems like users forget the rules of use in many instances. An article in the Globe and Mail over the weekend focuses on a child who left his laptop unattended on carpet, which led to a fire. Sure, the laptop shouldn’t have gotten so hot that it burst into flames. However, the child and his parents could’ve taken steps to prevent the carpet fire and subsequent $15,000 damage. The owner’s manual for most laptops states that devices must not be left on plush/soft surfaces. This family is considering a lawsuit, but you’d think the manufacturer would be somewhat safe with the fact that the kid overlooked one key use suggestion. 2006-09-20T23:38:09Z 2006-06-21T15:22:16Z tag:weblogs.jupiterresearch.com,2006:/analysts/wood//28.7050 2006-06-21T15:22:16Z

While Wal-Mart certainly isn’t known for selling the most sophisticated CE products on the market, the chain presents CE vendors with a massive distribution channel. The tech road shows the store has planned in cooperation with Intel, Microsoft and a few others combines the power of reputable brands to educate...

Andrea Wood While Wal-Mart certainly isn’t known for selling the most sophisticated CE products on the market, the chain presents CE vendors with a massive distribution channel. The tech road shows the store has planned in cooperation with Intel, Microsoft and a few others combines the power of reputable brands to educate consumers about the options available in standard household technologies. This tour presents Wal-Mart with an opportunity that many vendors would die for: to provide info about their products in a hands-on setting, and to demonstrate a range potential uses in everyday life. Wisely, the road shows will target students and teachers. Teachers decide what is used in the classroom, ultimately influencing what technologies are used, and how. Kids often debrief their families about the latest and greatest, are quick learners and tend to be early adopters. Who better to influence household buying behaviors? While Wal-Mart isn’t the first place many people would look for CE products, most consumers would not overlook the savings presented by the chain. It won’t take long for consumers looking for a PC for their child to use for schoolwork, or basic home theatre set-up, to check Wal-Mart’s pricing when doing price comparisons.